Kids take a virtual trip around the world

Central Lancaster High School welcomed a team from Google into school to take students on innovative virtual field trips around the world –and beyond.

The Lancaster school was the furthest north that the Google Expeditions team visited in their tour of the country with their new virtual reality headsets.

Geography students explored Antarctica, Borneo’s rainforest, Rio De Janeiro and life under the sea in our vast oceans.

Meanwhile, the PE department took a GCSE class inside the circulatory system and explored the human heart, lungs and blood vessels, while a science class chose to go to the moon and explore planetary systems.

The virtual school trip uses a simple cardboard viewer to send synchronised three dimensional 360 degree panoramas to each student’s cardboard viewer directly from the teacher’s tablet.

Areas of interest are pointed out in real time and pupils are challenged to answer questions and discuss their environment to take them on a unique journey of discovery.”

Year 9 pupil Leoni Wright said: “I enjoyed Google’s mindblowing experience. They made me feel as if I was in these exotic locations and I could see everything around me. Definitely something I will remember!”

Matilda Bulman from Year 7 said: “It was absolutely fantastic! I was overwhelmed by how fascinating it was and you felt immersed in the moment. I would do it all over again and I think this could turn into a big thing!”

And Aasiya Patel, also from Year 7, said: “I think this experience was phenomenal! It was so cool how you could experience all the different places. The best day ever!”